The Final Goodbye
by BondSlave
Summary: I don't want to be alone anymore…but how can a person like me…ever find someone who will accept me for who I am? I'm nothing but a monster. Takes place sixty odd years after Dirge of Cerberus.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vincent Valentine, for if I did I would be one happy individual. Rich too. **

**A/N: Well I got super depressed this morning and deleted like six of my stories on FFN. T.T And well I needed to cheer myself up, and this is what happened. Please read and review. . if you want to that is. **

**Summary: I don't want to be alone anymore…but how can a person like me…ever find someone who will accept me for who I am? I'm nothing but a monster.**

He was alone again. He had known from the beginning that he would eventually end up alone, that it was foolish to stay as long as he did, foolish to consider them friends, foolish to pretend that he was accepted.

The sky was hung with thick dark gray clouds, which wept upon the now much more fertile land of New Midgar, sending down thick gray rain drops the size of marbles. No breeze added to the depressing seen the weather had upon the land. The ground was soggy from the seemingly never ending rain; the world had been turned gray due to the lack of sunlight that remained hidden behind the dark storm clouds.

Vincent had stood in the same place for over an hour, merely gazing down at the grave stone, eyes relatively wide, mouth thinned, body unmoving. Some may have mistaken him for a statue if it weren't for the redness in his eyes that came from the silent tears that had began flowing down his cheeks. The spring of emotion he had locked away after the death of his dear Lucresia Crescent had found its way out and he couldn't stop it.

His hair was soaked and clung to his face, limp, his cloths were soaked and clung to his body like a vice, the collared cape around his shoulders was heavy, almost so heavy he wondered if he could even bear the weight of it any longer.

**It'S tImE tO gO. **

He heard the slight complain from Death Gigas and a week nudge to his core. He took a shaky step forward before falling to his knees, the mud and water splattering his pants. He let out a soft sound. As he continued to stare at the grave stone. _I…I don't want to say good bye yet…. _He replied in a mentally weak voice. He felt slight shifting, in a way it was like Death Gigas was shifting his weight from foot to foot, unsure of what to do or say.

**BuT iTs TiMe To Go. **

This didn't get much of a response from the ex-Turk as the tears continued to flow down his cheeks mixing with the rain that had soaked him to the bone. He was to overwhelmed to even mentally conceive going anywhere. To emotionally distraught to do anything. He let his back slouch slightly as he felt another nudge to his core, though this one was much more insistent, and much harder to ignore.

_**Come On Vincent, It's Time To Leave. There Is No Longer A Reason To Stay Here. **_

He slowly rose to his feet as if being pulled to his feet by some strong individual—not that lifting his hundred and ninety-six pound frame would be too difficult for a healthy man. He didn't really register the fact that he was moving, he just went along with the movement head bowed, shoulders hunched. This was the first time he didn't mind Chaos taking slight control of his motor skills—he after all, had lost all ability to move over an hour ago. He glanced back over his shoulder towards the tomb. "Goodbye…Cloud."

And with that as his final goodbye, Vincent permitted the demon within him to lead him away from New Midgar—to places he was unsure.

**This is going to be a four shot. I'll update when I can—I'm leaving for the bay area tomorrow and do not know if I will find time to be on the computer. Then when I get home school starts—so updates for ANY thing may be delated. Please review. -_- depressing I know, but it won't stay that way. This takes place sixty-five-years after Dirge.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors Note: I'm noticing a pattern with my writing. Stories with depressing context do not get updated unless I am depressed. I wrote the first chapter of this story the day before traveling to visit my ill grandmother in the bay area…and now I am writing the second chapter the day after I found out my grandmother passed away. Read and review if you desire. **

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The sound of water echoed throughout the dark, damp cavern; small land mammals could be heard scampering over the coral rocks and splashing with their little feet in the small puddles of water. The sounds of the night could be heard outside of the cavern, muffled by the downpour of rain that continued to slam down upon Gaia from all over, only ever stopping for a few days before more rain would come. He stood there, eyes red, skin pale, lips chapped, clothes drenched.

**This Is Where You Come? **Chaos questioned inside the ex-Turks mind, or what was left of the ex-Turks mind. The demon was finding it harder and harder to communicate with the man he was imprisoned in. The human's mind was full of confused thoughts, names, please, cries useless information, everything colliding in a hurricane of commotion.

"I…I want to die here." A weak voice replied. The voice was unnecessary, but the demon knew had any living creature been near they would have missed the silent statement. Chaos himself was enraged by this sudden show of weakness. He could handle the self loathing, the pity parties, the guilt trips but this? This genuine sign of defeat? This sign of loss, this sign of giving up made him sick.

**Valentine What Are You Saying? **He roared in the back of the human's subconscious. Vincent didn't seem to hear the demons as they woke and began yelling at him. He glanced around, several strands of black hair falling into his eyes. The glow of the mako crystals cast a sick green glow to his form as he approached the largest cluster of crystal. He gazed up at the beautiful, enchanted corpse resting behind the crystals.  
"I want to die."

**You Can Not Die Valentine. You Will Never Die!**

"Not by natural causes."

**I Will Not Let You Be Killed. **

Vincent nodded. He knew that. He had always known that, the demons within him would never let the vessel die for if he died, they would surely die to. Vincent turned away from the woman in the crystal and lowered himself to the cavern floor, easing into a seated position before laying himself down.

"I give up."

**You Can Not Give Up! **Vincent did not respond. It was his life, he could do whatever he wanted to with it, and no demon was going to tell him other wise. **Valentine Get Up! **He may never be blessed with the sweet sensation of death; he may never join the lifestream with those he loved. But he would not remain to walk endlessly upon the planet that caused him so much pain. **VALENTINE GET UP! **Vincent wanted nothing more than to escape the roaring inside his own head, to go beyond the pain of loss. He knew what to do, he had done it once before, a long time ago. Forcing himself to shut down into an almost death like state, a state he never should have been woken from. He closed his eyes, tuning out the sound of the demons. He stilled his mind of thought and merely focused on listening to his breathing, feeling the beat of his heart. He continued to do this till his senses began to shut down. He could no longer smell the world around him, no longer could see the light through his eye lids, no longer feel. All he felt was the cold black depths of nothing. The voices slowly began to fade. He would go deeper this time; he would go all the way down until there was nothing left of him. Before he was lost in the darkness he heard her voice, her sweet sorrowful voice. _I'm so sorry. _

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**Authors Note: I have nothing to say besides the fact I enjoy writing about Chaos. I may use him more often. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors Note: Well guess what? Not depressed! I am writing this in a relatively cheerful mood! Yay. I hope someone is still sticking with this story and will review. But with all of the waiting I doubt there is. **

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Noise was not an unfamiliar element-not exactly anyway. He had known it once, but now, it was alien to him. It was noise, and yet it came to him as white light, bright, white. Blank. He felt as though he were rising…upward. He was aiming skyward-towards the noises. It took his ears a moment to began functioning properly, awhile longer still till he was able to start pin pointing exactly what sounds represented what. The _plip, plip, plip _was the sound of the water dripping from he top of the cavern and down into the shallow water. The gentle crescendo and ending _splish_ was that of ripples, and the ending shock brushing gently against the rise of the earth. The dozens of otherworldly noises such as soft mewls, cries or growls belonged to the various monsters that lived in the caverns, all echoing from a great distance away and was thus not an immediate problem. But these were all natural noises, like the wind blowing over the various openings causing an eerie howling noise. It was windy? This realization caused his seemingly long since dead nerve endings to begin firing once more and the sudden sensation of his goose-bumps covering every inch of his body and his hairs rising on end caused his sense of feel to reawaken. He was cold. And the annoying ach in his heals, buttocks, shoulder blades and head meant that he was laying on something hard…which in turn was also cold. His sense of smell soon awakened as well. He inhaled gently, as though the light breeze that was assaulting his skin were gentling pushing the various scents into his nasal passageway. He could smell the earth. It smelled rather moist, but not at all richly soilely as the dirt that is frequently exposed to rain fall and sunlight smells. This dirt smelled stale. He could also smell the water and the moss and fungi that grew there in. But what alerted him so causing his brain to jump start at a rather disorienting rate was the smell of a woman's flora sweet perfume mixed with her natural bodily odor. His crimson eyes snapped open, his pupils dilated and retracted quickly, causing his vision to be unfocused.

Cloudy. That was the only description for it. He could see various grays swirling among his vision, quickly followed by a faint splash of blue, and something green glistened at the corner of his vision. He blinked several times, with each quick motion of eyelids sliding over his eyes his vision cleared gradually. As he blinked several more times a sudden splash of color filled his vision. It was cream colored with bright red hair. He blinked again and his vision finally cleared completely, his eyes focusing. He held his gaze in slight surprise as he found himself gazing up into the brightest blue eyes he had ever seen. "Oh!" He blinked again as the eyes grew distant and soon he could see the persons face. It was a woman. "Oh good! You're alive!"

He blinked again, steadily and gracefully shifting his arms, and slowly shifted till he was seated upwards slightly, his weight held on his elbows. He gazed, head tilted slightly, up at the woman who was standing above him.

She was a small woman with a dainty frame, and obviously short in stature. She had a heart shaped face, a few hardly noticeable freckles splashed across her nose and cheeks, bright blue eyes, and the reddest hair he had ever seen. It was literally red. A deep rich color. Her lips were pink as though colored by the pinkest rose. Her figure was slight, with small breasts and gently curved hips. Her legs were long and slender, though it was obvious they were strong. Her arms were the same, slender but strong.

She offered him her hand. He merely looked at it before looking back up at her. She frowned slightly. It took him a moment but he finally opened his mouth, and in a quite, slightly horse voice spoke. "Who are you?" The question was not meant to be rude, but it seemed as her frowned deepened, that she had taken it that way.

"My name is Charlotte." She stated crossing her arms. But even though her face and stance offered him the information that she was irritated with him, the emotion did not reach her eyes, which were calculating with the tiniest hint of concern.

He glanced around before taking in her clothing.

She was dressed in short black leather shorts, or so it appeared, perhaps they were some similar material. A black hard leather corset was laced over a flowing, eloquent looking white blouse. Her shoulders were bare, but made out of the same materials of the blouse were flowing sleeves hanging from ties from her biceps. Her legs were bare save for the healed ankles boots, which were also black. She carried the strangest device upon her hip. It was obviously some form of weapon, but he could not even begin to imagine what kind.

"What is the year?" He asked. This seemed to puzzle the woman who shifted her weight from foot to foot slightly as if pondering whether to answer him or not. He tilted his head. "I will no be as surprised as you may think I will be." he offered calmly, his voice having returned to is natural velvet baritone.

"The year is 2100." She stated simply. He bowed his head slightly.

'_So. I have slept for three decades.' _He thought to himself, noticing the girl shift from the corner of his eye. Perhaps she was concerned for him. "Sir, are you alright?"

He glanced up at her before nodding, shifting forward and rising to his feet.

"Yes. I'm fine."

Once standing he found he was quite a bit taller than the girl-Charlotte. In fact, he towered over her. She was a good three heads or more shorter than him. If he were to stand in front of her, her face would be about the same level as his ribcage. "I am merely a bit troubled." He stated glancing around before turning towards the large cluster of mako crystals. His eyes softened slightly. She was still there. Remaining-forever-frozen within the crystals. This one thing brought him comfort, for he knew, just outside the mouth of the cavern, the world had changed, evolved, and he was now a stranger in a strange land.

"Troubled? Are you ill? How did you get down here? Were you attacked by rouges?" She asked stepping to his side. He glanced at her quickly before looking back at the frozen ghost of his long lost love.

"No. I am fine. There is just…so much I will have to learn."

The girl was puzzled by this statement, but she let her gaze fall onto the woman sleeping behind the crystals.

"She's beautiful. We haven't been able to identify her, but we've estimated that she has been frozen here for nearly sixty-years."

"One-hundred-twenty-three." He corrected. This absolutely startled the girl causing her to turn swiftly towards him.

"Okay, how can you blurt out that obscene number? And what is with this troubled crap? Let me guess, next you are going to say that you know the woman behind those crystals!" She said pointing towards the woman. He merely gazed down at her for a long while before nodding.

"Lucrecia Crescent."

She blinked, her hand dropping to her side as she gazed blankly up at him. "She was a scientist for the Shinra Electric Power company, and the mother of the most evil man to have ever walked upon this planet." He said before turning his gaze back to her. His voice lowering slightly. "And once upon a time…a dear companion."

The small woman looked at him, troubled before questioning, quietly.

"Who are you?"

"My name," He paused a moment. "is Vincent Valentine." He felt the urge to confess to his woman…he was no longer in his own world, but a world that would be very strange to him. He did not know this worlds troubles, their monsters, their evil, and they did not know his. "Ex-Turk for the Shinra Electric Power company, and father of the most evil man who ever walked the earth."

"You were her lover?"

"Yes. A long time ago." He bowed his head. "I have been asleep for thirty years or more…everyone I once knew have long since been buried, and their children with them…. I know no one now. I am truly alone." Vincent bowed his head and closed his eyes, the pain of that realization washing over him. He started slightly glancing down sharply as he felt the girl gently grab his hand in both of hers. She smiled up at him and shook her head.

"No, not alone. You have me." She gently hugged his arm, offering comfort in the only way she obviously knew how. "I'll be here with you as you venture into this new world." She released his arm but continued to hold his hand. "I'll be here to help you."

He felt the faintest of fluttering in his chest at her kindness. She was indeed kind. He did not want to trust her, to trust her words…but something in her eyes, in her smile prevented him from doing anything but trusting her.

"Thank you."

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**Authors Note: There will be one more chapter to this story! Yay depression is over. Yeah sure it's kind of depressing since he is alone and what not, but STILL! At least he has someone who is willing to stay by his side! Please review! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Authors Note: well this is the last chapter for 'The Final Goodbye'. It has been a short story, but a long endeavor. I short story born upon my despair, and completed upon my contentment. Pity it took nearly a year and so many months to complete it. I hope you who have read this story, who those who will read it in the future have enjoyed it, and please leave one final review. **

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Vincent stood, Charlotte holding his gloved hand firmly within her own naked hand, gazing back towards the woman behind the crystals. She had wanted him to move on for so long, remaining bound in some form of spirit to the earth for her sorrow and regret. But…perhaps she had been drawn to his own despair and regret. They had been fools all those years ago, both knew it, one died knowing it, and now one must live knowing it. But Vincent had a feeling he could live with it…he could face his mistakes, finally, in the light of this new world. He could embrace his own mistakes and fool hearty actions of the past, he could finally move on. He eyed the woman fondly, the faintest of smiles adorning his lips, though no one could have seen it seeing as his collar hid half of his face. _'Goodbye Lucrescia…perhaps now, we can both move on.' _he turned forward and nodded towards the girl who had refused to release his hand, and permitted her to lead him out of the cave.

If Vincent were to be perfectly honest with himself, the first few days of his re-awakening were scary as hell. So much had changed in such a short time, if one were to go by how many years it usually took for industry to evolve. There was no more Shinra Electric Power company, Midgar had been overgrown with forest for nearly a decade-though this meant that all of the mako radiation had finally dispersed. Edge, which had become quite a city and had obviously been quite grand, was now on a down hill spiral of depression. Vincent hadn't asked why, he didn't think he was ready to know the answer, not yet anyway.

He spent a lot of his time at the local library, reading up on the recent history, looking up names of people he had once knew and their children to see what had become of them. When he wasn't at the library or the apartment that Charlotte was so kindly sharing with him he was walking the city. He had changed his attire, as not to draw to much attention to himself. He had found himself in the history books…and he didn't really want to be found out. After all, the history books mentioned nothing of Hojo's experiments…or at least specifically and thus many people did not know he was basically immortal. He was also said to be dead…so, he'd gotten a new wardrobe. He now wandered the streets in black slacks, white button up collared shirt and red scarf that hung about his shoulders, and hid his neck and part of his face whenever he tilted his head downward slightly. It gave him comfort having the scarf to wrap around himself, having spent so long with his cloak. He'd also cut his bangs a bit, and frequently wore his hair in a ponytail. This is how his life had changed so far. He knew it was not much, but it felt very extreme to him.

It was a cool fall evening and Vincent sat with Charlotte in the apartment enjoying another well cooked dinner…or he had been, but at some point his mind had wandered and he was found leaning back in his seat gazing out the window. Charlotte, who had quickly grown used to his sullen moods and silence was not at all bothered…though the lack of conversation sometimes bothered her. "So, Vincent. Have you been enjoying your exploration of the city?" She questioned, catching his attention and causing him to focus upon her. He gazed at her for a moment before nodding, leaning forward again and once again took up his spoon.

"Yes. It is refreshing to walk familiar streets…though a little disorienting when I come upon something new."

She nodded sympathetically. She imagined it must be hard for him. He had come home quite depressed when he'd wandered throughout the city and found out that a building he had once known had long since been torn down. He hadn't said what building, but she had a feeling it held some good memories for him.

She leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands and her elbows on the table gazing at him.

"So, Vincent. Is there anywhere else you would like to go? I don't have to work tomorrow, perhaps we could explore together."

He looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding, setting his spoon aside.

"Yes. As a matter of fact, there is someplace I would like to go. Is the cemetery still out on the hill out on the outskirts of Edge?"

She blinked. A cemetery?

"Why…yes."

"I would like to go there please."

The next day Vincent and Charlotte made their way to the outskirts of Edge, and up towards the hill where the Fair Memorial Cemetery had been build nearly sixty years previously. Vincent entered the cemetery and quickly walked ahead of Charlotte, who could only imagine that he knew where he wanted to go. Which he did. He knew exactly where he was going, and easily made his way across the cemetery. He eventually came to a stop in front of a row of simple, old, slightly moss covered but obviously celebrated tombstones. He merely stood there, motionless, as though he himself were a statue. Charlotte approached him and looked up at him before her gaze dropped to the tombstones. She was curious…he could sense it. She longed to know his connection with the dead ones beneath them from his own mouth, not from a history book.

"Cloud Strife." he breathed, reading the worn name upon the stone. "He was the most stubborn, but good hearted man I knew. Perhaps also the best of friend. Or at least, that is how I pictured him. I do not know his opinion on me however." He tilted his head towards the right. "Tifa Lockheart, she was a beautiful, strong willed woman. She truly was the woman behind the man-Cloud I mean. She was his reasons for fighting, she was his reasons for first joining SOLDIER…" he chuckled, which took the woman beside him totally by surprise. She had never heard such a sound from him before. "though he never did become a SOLDIER." And the list went on. They walked along the row of tomb stones, Vincent revealing personal opinions and stories of each person they passed in turn. They finally came to a stop at he last tomb stone, which was different from the rest. It was that of a large buster sword with carved flowers around it. "Zack Fair." he breathed. Charlotte looked up at him.

"Do you not have any thing to say about him?"

"I did not know Mr. Fair. But I had gotten glimpses of him through Cloud whose memories had merged with the Mr. Fair, right after the SOLDIERS unfortunate and untimely death. He was a great man, a hero if Cloud had ever known one. I believed him. I still do to this day. Zack Fair was a hero…a true hero." His voice trailed off, and the two of them stood there in a comfortable silence, remembering the dead and honoring their memory together. They remained that way for a long time when a whispered-disbelieving voice graced Vincent's ears.

"Vincent?"

The Ex-Turk blinked and turned around, causing Charlotte in turn to turn about in confusion. About twenty feet away stood a looming beast like creature, with the build of a large jungle cat, its fur red, though not quite as red as Vincent had remembered. Long main adorned with beads and feathers and a tatoo that read XIII upon it's shoulder.

"Red XIII." He breathed in reply. How had he been so thoughtless? He quickly approached the animal and knelt down, hugging the creature before looking him over. How could he have been so foolish? Red XIII was a creature that would live for centauries. Nearly immortal, but not doomed to walk the earth alone forever.

"You are alive." The beast spoke seemingly completely surprised as he gazed up at the other man. "I hardly recognize you."

Vincent blinked.

"How did you with my back turned?"

"You scent."

This brought a faint smile to Vincent, though the scarf hid it. Charlotte, who approached a few moments later rested her hands on her knees and bent down slightly.

"So, whose your friend?"

Vincent shifted slightly to look at her.

"This is RedXIII, he is a very old, very dear friend. A friend I cannot believe I had forgotten."

The beast smiled as he sat down upon the grass.

"We did not speak often Vincent, I am not surprised."

Vincent glanced away a moment.

"I still feel guilty."

At that RedXIII laughed out a loud barking laugh, which in turn caused Charlotte to laugh at the Ex-Turks expense. Vincent took it in stride, and chuckled to himself was well. He would not be alone after all in this strange new world. He had Charlotte…who he was quite enamored with, and his dear old friend RedXIII…and he was very thankful.

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**Authors Note: yay for happy endings! Yes Vincent likes Charlotte, and yes in my mind they will end up together. But that is another story for another time. No, I am not saying there will be a sequel. **


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